The Good, the Bad and the Downright Dangerous Sunscreens

Now that we helped break the Guinness World Record for the World's Largest Swimming Lesson, we can now focus on safe sun care! Environmental Working Group (EWG) has published their annual sunscreen report and guide. The also have a database rating 292 brands and 1700 products for safety and effectiveness. Check them out on the link below and see how safe your sunscreen is!

Click HERE for the EWG Sunscreen Report and Database

Basically look for sunscreens containing minerals such as zinc or titanium which naturally block the sun's rays. Stay away from sprayed or powdered sunscreens which pose inhalation risks. Be wary of sunscreens claiming over spf 30 protection. Also steer clear of sunscreens that contain oxybenzone and retinal palmitate. See below for more details!

Let us know if you have a good sunscreen and where you got it in our comment section!


More mineral sunscreens
Nearly 90 brands, including CVS, Neutrogena, Banana Boat, Walgreens and Aveeno now offer sunscreens with zinc and titanium. These are the right choice for children, people with sensitive skin and others who want the best UVA protection without potentially hormone-disrupting chemicals like oxybenzone or vitamin A, which may be carcinogenic on sun-exposed skin. None are sprayed or powdered, so they don’t pose inhalation dangers.

Red flags:

Poor UVA protection

Three of five U.S. sunscreens wouldn’t be acceptable in Europe. EWG’s analysis of more than 500 beach and sport sunscreens with SPF ratings of 30 and higher finds that more than 300 of them, about 60 percent, provide inadequate UVA protection and are too weak for the European market, where manufacturers voluntarily comply with a standard for meaningful UVA protection.

Risky vitamin A additives

Many sunscreen makers still use a form of vitamin A, called retinyl palmitate, ignoring recent scientific research by the federal Food and Drug Administration indicating the chemical may be photocarcinogenic – that it may heighten skin cancer risk when used on sun-exposed skin. While more definitive research is under way, EWG recommends that prudent consumers avoid vitamin A-laden sunscreens.

Sky-high SPF claims

About 1 in 6 beach and sport sunscreens claim SPFs greater than 50+, compared to 1 in 8 in 2009. Yet studies show that high-SPF users are exposed to as much or more ultraviolet rays than people who use lower SPF products. Why? Those big numbers give people a false sense of security. They wait too long before reapplying and stay out too long.

Still no federal sunscreen rules

The FDA declared its intent to regulate sunscreens back in 1978. The rules are still in bureaucratic limbo. While regulators delay, sunscreen makers can sell products that overstate sun protection and underperform in the real world. EWG continues to pressure the FDA to issue enforceable rules for sunscreen products.
*EWG’s Sunscreen Guide was updated with additional products on June 28, 2011. Statistics throughout this report are based on products in the database as of May 2011.

Be safe in the sun this summer!

Jennifer